In 2022, travelers searched for some of the most crowded destinations in the world. In 2023, skip these tourist spots for more offbeat destinations.
A tourist explores tourist exploring Khao Sok National Park in Thailand.
Sam Spicer/Getty Images
In 2022, there was a revival of travel. As reported by Forbes, the borders were reopened; Travel agents were overwhelmed with new customers, according to Insider; and American baby boomers led a wave of vacations to destinations like Italy and Great Britain, according to The Columbian.
In addition, media around the globe reported on “revenge trips,” or the urge to travel and make up for lost vacations during the pandemic.
Even before this surge in travel demand, destinations around the globe experienced overcrowding. As the Insider previously reported, an influx of tourists to certain cities can be detrimental to the destination. Places like Amsterdam, Venice, Bali and Barcelona have struggled with too many tourists, Condé Nast Traveler reports, and Insider found that over-tourism often has a negative impact on the environment, a country’s cultural monuments and the people who live in those destinations.
However, many of these cities were also the most sought-after destinations by potential travelers in 2022, according to Google’s Destination Insights. Google’s report revealed the most searched destinations based on search volume between January and December 2022, and the results include many cities that can be crowded and over-visited.
Here are the 10 most sought-after destinations based on Google findings and where travelers can visit instead for a more under-the-radar, crowd-free vacation in 2023.
